Alkaline Earth Metals

The Alkaline Earth Metals

The alkaline earth metals consist of Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and radium.

Period and Group

The alkaline earth metals fall into periods two through seven and group two of the periodic table. Periods are the rows and groups are the columns.

State of Matter

All of the alkaline earth metals are solids. They are also, you guessed it, metals, and they are very shiny.

Physical Properties

Melting Point
Be - 1551
Mg - 922
Ca - 1112
Sr - 1042
Ba - 1002

Color
All of these metals have a shiny, silvery-white color

Atomic Numbers
Be - 4
Mg - 12
Ca - 20
Sr - 38
Ba - 56

Chemical Properties

Color Change
When heated in a flame
MG turns Brilliant White
Ca turns Brick-Red
Sr turns Crimson
Ba turns Apple Green

All Alkaline earth metals have an extreme reducing powers with oxygen and chlorine.

The hot metals are also sused to reduce nitrogen gas and form nitrides.

Interesting Facts

Barium is so reactive with air it is stored under oil.

The elements become increasingly electropositive as you move down in the rows.

Magnesium Oxide had sucha a high melting point it is used to line the inside of furnaces.

Common Uses

Magnesium is used in common Flares.

Magnesium is used in tracer rounds(bullets that light on fire when shot(incendiary)).








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Periodic Table of Elements: Alkaline Earth Metals. Digital image. Www.vectorsite.net. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. <http://www.vectorsite.net/tpchem_eBe.png>.